


Flicker

by supernatural9917



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Benny saves the day, Canon divergent from s08e05, Canon-Typical Violence, Double Penetration, Episode: s08e05 Blood Brother, M/M, Multi, Sam Winchester Needs Brain Bleach, Threesome - M/M/M, established Castiel/Benny Lafitte/Dean Winchester since Purgatory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:07:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29593920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernatural9917/pseuds/supernatural9917
Summary: After the events of Prentiss Island, Dean doesn’t care what Sam thinks- Benny is staying with them, and Sam can get his own damn room so Dean and Benny can get a little privacy. Turns out Benny is handy to have along on a case, and when Cas mysteriously reappears, the three of them pick up where they left off in Purgatory. Dean is a happy man, and Benny would be too, except that he can’t help but notice how Cas sometimes keeps kinda… flickering…
Relationships: Benny Lafitte/Dean Winchester, Castiel/Benny Lafitte/Dean Winchester
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44
Collections: Destiny Big Bang





	Flicker

**Author's Note:**

> Yay Destiny Bang! Thank you to the mods for running this. Destiny is my OT3, and I've been wanting to write a season 8 fix-it for ages. Benny deserved better, Cas deserved better, and Dean deserved both of them taking care of him. Since the finale, I've struggled at times to get the words out, so this doesn't go quite as far in retelling the season as I'd originally intended, but I hope it puts them on a trajectory for happiness that fixes the rest of season 8 too.
> 
> My artist [ncdover1285](https://ncdover1285.tumblr.com) gifted me with some lovely art, including a NSFW Dean's eye-view of Benny's _ass_ ets, so make sure to show your appreciation on the [art masterpost](https://ncdover1285.tumblr.com/post/643730071539138560/art-for-flicker-for-the-destinybigbang-link)!

'I ain't askin', Sam.' Dean wore his most stubborn expression, one Benny recognised from months of Dean asking monsters where the angel was and insisting that the three of them would get through the portal if it killed them. If Sam managed to stand up to it, he was a stronger man than Benny and Castiel had ever been. For a second, Benny thought he might actually stay firm, but then Sam's expression turned from grim to exasperated. He rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, and now Benny understood what Dean had meant by the expression 'bitch face.'

'You can't just expect me to trust a  _ vampire _ , Dean.'

'A year, Sam. A whole. Fucking. Year. He could have killed me any time, but he had my back every damn day. Me  _ and _ Cas.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Benny's the one who got me out of Purgatory. He's the reason I'm topside and not roasting on a spit down there. He saved my ass more times than I can count, helped me find Cas, hell, even saved  _ his _ ass when we got attacked by Leviathan. So if I say you can trust him, you can trust him.'

Sam's expression morphed into a different but no less bitchy face as he squeezed his fingers on the bridge of his nose. 'Look, I get that you did what you to do down there, but-'

'No buts,' Dean interrupted. 'Benny was already on bagged blood even before he got ganked up here. He's on it now. He got hurt, could've attacked somebody to feed, but instead he called me for help. That sound like a dangerous monster to you?'

'Are you really that naïve?' Sam asked incredulously.

'If you're so worried about it, then bringing him with us is the best way to keep an eye on him, right? We keep him fed and close, ain't nobody else getting bit.' Benny smirked at Sam's wide-eyed expression. 'Jesus, Sam, I mean bagged blood. Perv.'

Benny had to laugh out loud at that, and the brothers turned as if just remembering he was there. 'Don't worry, chief, I only bite if you ask real nice.' He gave Sam a saucy wink, and the grin on Dean's face made Sam's next bitch face totally worth it.

'Like I said, Sam. I ain't askin'. I'm finding the closest motel and getting a goddamn shower. If you're still convinced Benny's gonna try to eat you in the middle of the night, you can get your own room.' Without waiting for a reply, Dean stalked off to the Impala and jerked his head at Benny to get in the passenger seat, leaving Sam to return to the yellow convertible he'd driven to the dock. They drove in silence for a little while before Benny broke it.

'So what's all this about keepin' me fed and close?'

'You could've died, man,' Dean said tightly, as if that explained it. 'Things aren't great with Sam, Cas is… Cas is gone. I just need  _ one _ thing that works or I'm gonna go crazy.' A large warm hand on his thigh had Dean letting out a sigh. 'Sorry I killed your girlfriend.'

'Never took you for the jealous type,' Benny teased. 'I would've preferred mud wrestling, but she did kinda look like she was gonna kill me.'

'You're a dick,' Dean groused, but he was grinning now.

'I seem to remember that you like my dick,' Benny retorted, and that got him a full-on laugh.

'It's been a while, I think you'll have to remind me tonight.'

Benny's smile was hungry in a way Sam would find disturbing for entirely different reasons than usual. 'Guess we're gettin' two rooms, then.'

Another ten minutes brought them to an only moderately crappy motel, and Sam pulled in next to them in the parking lot. Dean swiftly acquired two rooms and chucked a key at Sam. 'We'll make a plan in the morning. Come on, Benny.' Benny tipped his cap at Sam and followed Dean to their room, neither of them bothering to look back. The room was half decent; the lobster-themed wallpaper wasn't exactly classy, but Dean had definitely stayed in worse. The second the door was closed, Dean pushed Benny against it and claimed his lips in a fierce kiss.

'Missed you, cher,' Benny murmured when they broke off for breath. 'Wanna feel you.'

'Shower first, then you're gonna fuck me.'

'Yes sir.'

The complications of shower sex, especially for two large men in a weak motel shower, meant they took turns, but on the bright side, by the time Benny was done, Dean was already two fingers deep in himself on the king-sized bed. Benny leaned against the bathroom door frame in nothing but a towel, just admiring the view for a while, but when Dean wrapped his other hand around his cock, Benny dropped the towel and joined him on the bed.

'That's mine,' he purred, batting Dean's hand away and replacing it with his mouth. Dean curled both hands into the sheets, so Benny took over the prep as well. His thicker fingers worked quickly, until Dean was begging for him to hurry up. He came off Dean's cock with a pop and came up to his knees when Dean pressed the lube into his hand. 'Miss that angel mojo to slide things along. How do you want it?'

'Start slow.' Benny slicked himself up and pressed into Dean slow and steady, the intensity of feeling shocking him. 'Fuck,' Dean moaned, apparently agreeing.

'Oh sweetheart, you feel so good. Didn't think I'd get to have you like this again.' Benny draped himself over Dean's body, bowlegs wrapping around his waist as they kissed more tenderly than they'd ever done in Purgatory. 'Ain't gonna last long, sugar.'

'Harder,' Dean panted, and Benny increased the force and pace of his thrusts. To get better leverage, he went back up on his knees and hooked Dean's legs over his elbows. Dean's hand flew over his cock as his desperation to come grew.

'Where-' Benny began, but Dean cut him off.

'Stay in me.' Benny's hips pistoned wildly as he came inside Dean, his head thrown back as he struggled to keep his vamp teeth at bay. Dean cried out when he came a few seconds later.

Breathing hard, Benny gave Dean a minute to relax before pulling out as gently as he could. 'Well ain't that just a mess,' he tutted, and rectified the situation by licking Dean clean. When he was finished, he flopped onto his back next to him and grinned.

'You better brush your teeth before kissing me again,' Dean teased with a weak push of Benny's shoulder. With a salute, Benny got up to do that, and Dean followed to do his own ablutions. 'Sam's gonna be even more pissed now,' he smirked.

'You're gonna tell him about us?'

'He's in the next room.'

Benny chuckled. 'You were pretty loud.'

'Just wanted you to know I was enjoying myself.' With a slap on Benny's bare ass, Dean walked back to the bed and rolled onto his side. 'Now get in here and cuddle the fuck out of me.'

**********

The way Benny saw it, Sam only had himself to blame. He could have just knocked like a civilised person, but instead he chose to pick the lock of their motel room. In fact, he should have considered himself lucky- if he'd walked in five minutes earlier, he'd have seen Dean riding Benny's dick instead of just the innocent post-coital spooning under the covers they were indulging in at the time.

'Jesus!' Sam exclaimed, turning around with a hand over his eyes.

'Oh, calm down,' Dean said, snuggling closer into Benny's arms. 'You're the one who rudely interrupted my afterglow. You could've just texted.'

'I can't believe you're fucking a vampire,' Sam hissed.

'I know, you're usually the monster fucker, but you haven't seen the size of his dick,' Dean joked. 'Even Cas was impressed.'

Sam froze. 'What?'

'Which part? Your crappy love life, Benny's giant cock, or the threesomes with Cas?'

Benny chuckled and kissed the top of Dean's head. 'Stop traumatising your brother. I'm gonna take a shower.' Taking advantage of Sam still averting his eyes, Benny walked to the bathroom naked, picking up his clothes and a bag of blood from the cooler on the way. As soon as the door closed, Sam turned around to scowl at Dean.

'What the hell, Dean?'

Dean rolled his eyes and sat up in bed, careful to keep his junk covered to preserve Sam's delicate sensibilities. 'I'm tired, Sam. After a goddamn year in monster hell, pretending I'm straight really doesn't have the same appeal. I like chicks, I like dudes, deal with it.'

'I don't care about that. I've known you were bi since I was like twelve. That doesn't mean I need to know that you're a size queen or whatever.'

'Ha! Look at you knowing what that means.' Dean smiled slightly and ducked his head. 'You, uh… you really don't care?'

'Of course not,' Sam said more gently.

'And you really already knew?'

Sam just snorted. 'Was that true about Cas?'

Dean actually blushed. 'Um, yeah. We always had somethin', but down there… I guess it just didn't seem important to fight it, you know? And me and Benny already had something going when we found him, so we all just kinda…' He waved his hand to imply whatever it had been, and Sam shook his head.

'I don't need the details.' Sam huffed and shook his head. 'I still don't trust him, but I guess I'll give him a chance. Just… next time, get me a room at the other end of the motel, OK?' Without waiting for Dean to reply, he walked out of the room, shouting, 'Breakfast in half an hour!' behind him as he closed the door.

'Well that could have gone a lot worse,' Dean muttered to himself.

They met Sam in the parking lot half an hour later, the three of them climbing into the Impala and leaving the yellow car behind. A diner a bit further down the road did them for breakfast, and Sam didn't spend the  _ entire _ time glaring suspiciously at Benny, so Dean counted that as a win. Still, he wanted to get them on a case ASAP to give Sam something to think about besides the best way to separate Benny's head from his shoulders, so he put on his phone's police scanner app instead of the radio and tossed it and an old road atlas onto the backseat.

'Benny, keep an ear out for anything weird.'

Long experience had taught them that most creepy shit happened in flyover country for some reason; maybe the monsters who lived in South Beach were better at hiding their activities, or maybe there was something about the Midwest in particular that made monsters go extra violent (Dean's money was on that option), but Dean pointed the Impala west and figured they'd get a hit by the time they got to western Pennsylvania at the latest.

In fact, they were halfway through Ohio when Benny said, 'Decapitation weird enough for ya, chief?'

'Gotta love a good decapitation,' Dean confirmed, and ignored Sam's muttered agreement that a particular decapitation would be great right about now. 'Where we headed?'

'Kearney, Missouri. Northern end of the state, close to the Kansas border.'

'Dude, no way! Jesse James was born there!' Dean replied eagerly. Twin groans from Sam and Benny were also ignored as Dean took back his phone and plugged in the directions. 'We're totally visiting the farmhouse after the case.' With a giddy grin, he started humming and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

'So how did you find out about the cowboy fetish?' Sam asked Benny before screwing his face up at Benny's slow smile. 'Never mind. I don't want to know.'

Dean laughed, and his humming turned into off-key singing. 'If you can give it, I can take it. 'Cause if this heart is gonna break it's gonna take a lot to break it. I know tonight, somebody's gonna win the fight. So if you're so tough, come on and prove it, your heart is down for the count and you know you're gonna lose it. Tonight you're gonna go down in flames, just like Jesse James.'

'Wow, Dean. Cher? Really?'

Dean shook his finger at Sam. 'You knew who it was, so you don’t get to give me any crap. Plus, it's a cowboy song. Cowboys always get a pass.'

'Cowboys, Swayze, Dr Sexy… and you were surprised that I already knew you were bi?'

'Bitch.'

'Jerk.'

They decided to push through to Indianapolis and take the last seven hours the next day. Sam got a room on the far side of the motel from them as promised, and they also took the opportunity of being in a bigger city to acquire another couple of blood bags for Benny's supply before heading to Kearney. Thanks to an early start, they arrived late afternoon at a motel to change into their Fed suits. Benny chose to stay behind while they went to the victim's house, and Dean filled Sam in on the details as they pulled up.

'So, guy's old lady comes home while he's working underneath his ride, puts the pedal to the metal, and takes half his head off. She says she blacked out, doesn't remember a damn thing.'

'That's it? What makes you think this is our sort of thing and not just normal crazy?' Dean didn't get a chance to answer, as a sheriff's deputy stopped them from entering the crime scene. They flashed their badges, and his eyes grew wide.

'Whoa, FBI?'

'We happened to be in the neighbourhood,' Sam explained.

'Man, first a Texas Ranger, now you guys?'

'Texas Ranger?' Dean asked, and followed the deputy's pointing finger to a tall, skinny guy in a fringed leather jacket, fanning himself against the heat with a cowboy hat. 'Oh, you gotta be kidding me.'

They were soon reminded that Garth was a hugger, and much to Dean's chagrin, learned that Garth was now the new Bobby, directing and supporting other hunters while still doing his own cases. After finding ectoplasm and talking to the vic's wife in the hospital, they decided to grab some dinner, stopping to pick up Benny on the way. He was worried the introduction would be awkward, but Garth seemed to take the vampire thing in his stride.

'Well shucks, any friend of Dean's is a friend of mine!' Garth said, bypassing the handshake and going straight for a hug that sent Benny's eyebrows towards his cap. 'How'd you guys meet, anyway?'

'We were both in Purgatory,' Dean replied.

'What, like  _ Purgatory _ Purgatory?'

'No, the one in Miami,' Dean deadpanned, and Garth let out a long whistle.

'Man, that's balls.'

'That's not how you say balls,' Dean snapped. 'Come on, I'm hungry.'

They followed Garth to a bar that offered proper grub, though Sam of course got a salad because he was weird like that. Dean's comment about all the hillbilly hankies on the wall and bar got them into a discussion about the Civil War, and soon Garth and Benny were geeking out hard together over it.

'Wait, you weren't alive then, were you?' Garth asked eagerly.

'Nah, about forty years before me. My grandpappy was, though. Actually fought on the Union side after the government took New Orleans.' Garth peppered him with questions about Louisiana during and after the war, talking about stuff Dean had never heard about.

'Where'd you learn all this stuff, Garth?' he finally asked.

'I went to college.'

'Seriously?' Sam asked.

'Yeah, college and then dental school. Ooh, I'd love to get a look at your vamp teeth, Benny.'

Dean put up a hand. 'Hold up, you were a  _ dentist _ ?'

'Yeah, for like a hot minute. How do you think I got my first case?'

'Let me guess- Tooth Fairy?' Dean sassed, but Garth looked despondent.

'Yeah. Man, I felt terrible when I ganked that SOB.'

'Now this story I gotta hear,' Benny grinned, and Garth launched into the tale. It was late by the time they had paid their bill, so they agreed to meet up for breakfast before going to speak to Sara Alcott. Garth gave them all hugs again, with an especially enthusiastic one for Benny.

'Should I be jealous?' Dean joked when they got back to their room.

Benny grabbed two solid handfuls of Dean's ass. 'Nah, you know I like having somethin' I can hold onto.'

**********

The case went a bit sideways for a bit there, with the spectre possessing Dean and almost making him shoot Sam, but between Garth and Benny they managed to get the haunted penny away from him and calm everything down. Sam had even shaken Benny's hand afterwards and thanked him, which was basically a truce coming from him. Benny and Garth exchanged numbers, which meant that every so often Benny would chuckle from the backseat at whatever inane thing Garth had texted him. Apparently Garth had decided that Benny needed to be educated on memes, which meant  _ Dean _ then got educated on the memes; he could have gone the rest of his life without knowing what Gangnam Style was,  _ thank you very much, Garth _ .

When Sam suggested heading to Rufus's cabin in Montana for a little while to regroup and come up with a plan to find Kevin, Dean happily agreed. Maybe if they slapped enough sunscreen on Benny, they could go fishing. Benny had been promising to make his famous catfish courtbuillon if he ever had access to a kitchen and the right ingredients, and Dean was going to hold him to it.

It happened on a supply run. Sam had stayed at the cabin researching some mysterious disappearances that were paired with major demonic portents while Dean and Benny drove into Whitefish itself. Both of their heads turned when they saw a dirty, shaggy man walking down the side of the road. A dirty, shaggy man… in a trenchcoat.

'Hot Wings?' Benny shouted.

Dean slammed on the breaks and quickly reversed, but there was no sign of Castiel. 'I'm not crazy, right? That looked like Cas.'

'That was definitely Cas,' Benny agreed emphatically. 'He must've flown off.'

'There's no way. He got stuck in Purgatory. There's no way.'

Benny put a comforting hand on Dean's shoulder. 'It's OK, cher. If he's here, we'll find him.'

'It was real, right? I wasn't just… imagining things?'

'I saw him too, Dean, I promise. If you're hallucinating, so am I.' He paused for a minute, biting his lip in thought. 'What if you pray to him?'

'Worth a shot.' Dean closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. 'Cas… Castiel, if you're topside and you got your ears on… come back to us, buddy. Please.' Benny's snort made him open his eyes. 'What?'

'Nothin'. I just think it's funny that you still call him buddy when he's had his dick up your-'

'I have to agree with the vampire, Dean.' Dean and Benny turned around to find Castiel sitting calmly in the backseat. 'It seems incongruous to call me "buddy" when we've had romantic and sexual-'

'Jesus fucking Christ, Cas!' Dean jumped out of the car and into the backseat, throwing his arms around Castiel before kissing him frantically. Benny just looked on with a fond grin while Dean got his fill. 'Cas,' Dean panted when he finally had to breathe, 'how the hell are you here, man?'

'Honestly, I don't know. I remember endlessly running and hiding from Leviathan, and then I was on the side of the road in Illinois. And... that was it.'

'Illinois? Why there?'

'I don't know. It is where my vessel was originally from, I don't know if that means anything.'

'Why didn't you find me right away?'

'Because of the sigils on your ribs, you're still invisible to me, and I don't have a phone anymore. I also haven't been at full power for some reason. I only ended up here because I finally managed to lock onto Benny's soul and thought you might be together.'

'Why'd you disappear from the road, Hot Wings?'

Unlike the first time Benny had called him that, Castiel smiled. 'Hello, Benny. With my weakened powers, my fight or flight instinct is stronger to protect me. It's usually flight, and I can't always control it. But when Dean prayed…' He turned his attention back to Dean, resting a palm on Dean's cheek. 'I've missed you.' His other hand went to Benny's face. 'Both of you.'

'Missed you too, sweetheart,' Dean murmured, resting his forehead against Castiel's. 'We'll do a supply run later, we gotta get back to the cabin and tell Sam.'

'Wait. You should test me first.'

'Shit. Yeah, of course.'

'Test?' Benny asked.

'Silver, holy water, iron, borax. Make sure it's really Cas and not a shifter, demon or Leviathan.'

'Well I ain't ever known any of those things to fly, but better safe than sorry I guess.'

'A good point, but you should still take precautions,' Castiel insisted. He held out his arm for Dean to toss salted holy water and borax onto. They had no effect, same as the iron bar, and the only response to the silver knife was the blue glow of grace that surged to heal the cut. 'I'm me,' Castiel said softly, with what sounded suspiciously like relief, before offering each of them a soft kiss.

'Come on, Hot Wings, let's get you back to the cabin.'

Benny took Castiel's hand and guided him to the front seat. It was a tight squeeze with the three of them, but Dean didn't complain when Castiel's head rested on his shoulder. 'I've been so tired,' Castiel admitted. 'I'm glad I finally found you.'

'We'll get you cleaned up and fed back in the cabin, and you can get some rest,' Benny assured him, rubbing soothing circles just above Castiel's knee.

'I don't eat or sleep,' Castiel said automatically, but then he smiled softly at Benny. 'But maybe I can make an exception.' He looked down at his clothes with a grimace. 'I'm dirty.'

'How's about we send Sam on that supply run and give our angel a sponge bath, Dean?' Benny asked with a teasing leer.

'Sounds like a plan.' Dean pulled the Impala up to the cabin, and the three of them headed inside.

'Back already? Oh my god, Cas!' Sam jumped up and pulled Castiel into a tight hug. 'How is this possible?' He looked to Dean, who nodded.

'Did all the tests, it's really him.'

'It's good to see you, Sam. Unfortunately, I don't know how I'm back. My powers are somewhat unstable, but I otherwise seem to be normal.'

Dean could tell that Sam was on the verge of asking a million questions, so he jumped in before that could happen. 'We ran into Cas on the road, so we never got to that supply run. Could you do it while we get him settled in?'

'Uh… yeah, OK.' Sam took the keys but didn't move. 'Need anything particular?'

'Food, beer, hunter's helper. Cas, anything particular?'

'Whatever you think is best, Dean.' Castiel was visibly drooping with exhaustion now, and Dean wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

'Come on, buddy, let's get you cleaned up. You want Sam to bring back some burgers?'

'Yes, please.' His head rested on Dean's shoulder as he closed his eyes.

When Dean turned back to Sam, he saw his brother looking at them with a soft smile. 'What?'

'You guys are cute. I always knew you were a big softie.'

'Yeah, yeah, shut up. Go get me beer.'

'I'll be back in a little while. Please be dressed when I do.'

'No promises!' Dean shouted at Sam's retreating back, earning him a middle finger before the door closed. 'OK, let's get this ratty stuff off you, Cas.' Dean and Benny helped Castiel take off the dirty trenchcoat and scrubs and manhandled him into the bathroom.

'I can just use my grace, Dean,' Castiel argued, but didn't fight it when Dean started stripping off too.

'If your mojo's acting funny, no point wasting it. I'll help you out.'

'And I'll watch,' Benny added, waggling his eyebrows, but the only show he got was a completely functional shower, the hot water tank too small to risk extending it for any more enjoyable activities. By the time Sam returned, Castiel was clean, dry and dressed in his old holy tax accountant get-up, having insisted on using his grace to regenerate his familiar clothes.

Over their burgers, they discussed the demon kidnapping case and got their first major break: the kidnapped people were all potential prophets, which could only mean that Crowley was involved. A panicked phone call from Linda Tran not long after that confirmed their suspicions, and in a whirlwind couple of days, the prophets were rescued, Kevin was pulled from Crowley's clutches, and half a demon tablet was in their possession.

While Sam got the Trans set up with Garth, Dean confronted Castiel about the risk he had taken by going straight for Crowley, but Castiel wasn't having it.

'Dean, everything isn't your responsibility.' Going right to the heart of the matter, he added, 'Getting me out of Purgatory wasn't your responsibility.'

'You didn't get out. So whose fault was it?' Dean snapped.

Castiel did his usual squinty-eyed head tilt. 'It's not about fault. It's about will. Dean, do you really not remember?'

'I lived it, Cas,' Dean huffed. 'Okay? I know what happened.'

'No. No, you think you know. You remembered it the way you needed to.'

'Look, I don't need to feel like hell for failing you, okay? For failing you like I've failed every other godforsaken thing that I care about! I don't need it!'

'Dean. Just look at it. Really look at it.' Castiel put two fingers to Dean's forehead and showed him the true image of what had happened at the portal: Castiel had pushed Dean away at the last moment, making him go through the portal alone. 'See, it wasn't that I was weak. I was stronger than you. I pulled away. Nothing you could have done would have saved me because I didn't want to be saved.'

'What the hell are you talking about?'

'It's where I belonged. I needed to do penance. After the things I did on earth and in heaven, I didn't deserve to be out. And I saw that clearly when I was there. I... I planned to stay all along. I just didn't know how to tell you. You can't save everyone, my love... though, you try.'

'Did you know about this?' Dean rounded on Benny, who put his hands up.

'I didn’t figure he had much chance to get through the portal, but I didn't know he stayed back on purpose. In hindsight, though… can't say I'm that surprised.' He exchanged a look with Castiel, and it was clear that they were both remembering their last time together before reaching the portal. Dean's pained groan a second later showed that he realised it too.

'Son of a bitch. That last night that we… fuck, you were all sappy… that was you saying goodbye.'

'I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't know how else to say it.' He reached for Dean's face, but Dean jerked away.

'You should've just  _ said _ it,' he snapped, 'instead of lying to me for months!'

'What good would that have done?' Castiel replied with equal heat. 'You made it very clear that you wouldn’t leave me there of your own accord. To get you through that portal, I had to be with you every step of the way, or you would have just stayed there too.'

'He's got a point, Dean,' Benny said gently. 'You wouldn't let him out of your sight.'

'Well sue me for wanting to get the people I love home and safe!'

'I'm sorry I hurt you,' Castiel apologised again, taking Dean's face in his hands. 'I'm sorry I had to lie to you. I don't know how it happened, but I'm here now, and I'll only leave your side if you ask me to.'

All the fight left Dean, and he let himself sag against Castiel's body. 'Stay with us.'

'Uh, hey, everything OK over here?' Sam asked, having seen off the Trans, and cautiously approached what looked to be a dramatic scene.

'Fine,' Castiel answered. 'Just setting a few things straight.'

'Good. Garth is gonna lay low with the Trans-'

'Hello, Castiel.'

Castiel looked around at the sudden change of venue. A woman- no, an  _ angel _ \- sat behind a desk smiling serenely at him. 'Where am I?'

'You don't know? You're home, Castiel.'

'Heaven? I've never been here before.'

'Not many have. My name is Naomi. We rescued you.'

'Purgatory.'

Naomi nodded. 'An incursion of angels, which cost us many lives. Consider these chats your repayment.'

'I don't understand.'

'Tell me about Sam and Dean.'

'The Prophet is being kept safe. The tablet has split in two and the Winchesters are trying to recover the missing piece.' He frowned and shook his head as if trying to shake something loose. 'Why am I telling you any of this?'

'It's not your concern. Help the Winchesters, come when they call. You will report in to me regularly, and you will never remember having done so.'

'No. I won't do that.'

Naomi smiled, an oily, snake-like thing. 'Now, as you were. They won't even notice you were gone.'

'...track down the other piece. You're with us on this one, right, Cas? Cas, you okay?' Sam asked.

'I'm… I'm fine. And, yes, I'm with you, if that's all right.' He looked to Dean for approval and received a short nod.

'Great. Let's find somewhere to crash tonight.'

Sam and Castiel climbed into the Impala, but Benny pulled Dean back. 'Did you see that?'

'See what?'

'The way Cas kinda… flickered just now.'

'Flickered?'

'Yeah. Like one second, he was there, then he kinda, I don't know, disappeared for half a second, then appeared again.'

'Uh, can't say I saw that, no.' Benny frowned, and Dean put a hand on his shoulder. 'Do you think you could see it because of the whole vamp senses thing?'

'Maybe. Or maybe I'm just seein' things.'

'If you think you saw something, Benny, I believe you. Should we ask Cas about it?'

'Naw, just leave it for now. It's probably that thing with his grace he was talkin' about.'

'OK, well, maybe keep an eye out, and if it keeps happening, we can talk to him.'

**********

It happened again at the end of their next case. Benny had managed to get a temp job as an orderly at the nursing home at the epicentre of cartoon weirdness, charming every little old lady in the place (except the one who took a shine to Castiel), and helped get Fred Jones settled in once he was safely in his own head. Just as Castiel was telling them that he couldn't go with them, there was a distinct flicker. They left Castiel looking after Fred, and on their way back to the Impala, Benny broke the news.

'Something's up with Cas. That's the second time now I've seen him disappear. It's too fast for the human eye, but I can just about catch it.'

'Do you think it's the weird grace thing he talked about before?' Sam asked.

'I don't know. You remember how he seemed kinda distracted after he said he couldn't come with us, like he'd lost his train of thought?'

'Yeah,' Dean nodded. 'And he did it before, too, after we got Kevin.'

'Right. I don't remember Cas ever losin' his train of thought before. It's almost like somethin's happenin' to him in that tiny flash of time, and it's enough to break the flow of whatever he's sayin'.'

Sam frowned. 'Should we ask him about it?'

'Something doesn't feel right about this,' Dean replied. 'I wonder if he even knows what's happening.' He climbed into the Impala, and the others followed suit, deep in thought. 'Hey Sam, you remember back in the apocalypse, the first one, when Cas got shanghaied back to Heaven for "re-education" and came back a complete dick for a while?'

'Yeah… you think that's what's happening here?'

'I mean, he's not being a dick, but if Heaven is messing around with his brain again…'

'And he might not even realise it,' Benny added. 'Shit.'

Sam's brow furrowed into a worried frown. 'So what do we do about it?' Neither Dean nor Benny had an answer for him.

**********

Deciding that they needed to research the angel lore- what little there was of it- the three of them returned to the cabin in Whitefish to hit the books. Dean also finally got to go fishing, and Benny made his catfish courtbuillon that had been totally worth the wait. They had reached the end of another failed research session when Castiel appeared in the cabin looking flustered.

'Dean, all of you, I need your help. The angel Samandriel... He's been taken.'

'You mean Alfie, the wiener-on-a-stick kid?'

'Yes. I heard his distress call this morning.'

'On what, angel radio? I thought you shut that down.'

Castiel looked discomfited. 'Well, my penance, it's going well, and I thought it was time to turn it back on. I've, uh... been helping people, Dean.' He looked so proud of himself, Dean couldn’t help but smile. He took Castiel's hand and pulled him down onto the couch with him.

'Well, good for you, sweetheart. All right. So, who snatched Heaven's second most adorable angel?'

'Crowley.'

Sam's head shot up. 'We're listening.'

'Samandriel is being held in the general vicinity of Hastings, Nebraska. The message cut off before I could get any more specific. I need your help because… well, this will involve talking to people.'

'Come on, Cas, I thought you were a hunter now,' Dean teased, booping Castiel's nose. 'You almost had that cat right where you wanted it.' Castiel rolled his eyes but couldn’t help a little smile.

'OK, what are we looking for, Cas?' Sam asked, fingers poised over the keyboard of his laptop.

'Well, when you torture an angel, it screams, and that kind of pain, it creates a ripple effect of strange incidents.'

'Right. Let's see, we've got strong winds, tornadoes… huh.' Sam looked up with a wry expression. 'How about a burning bush?'

Castiel deigned to spend the entire eighteen-hour drive in the Impala with them, usually crowded between Dean and Benny in the front seat once it was dark while Sam lounged in the back. On Sam's turn to drive, Castiel stayed up front with him while Dean dozed in Benny's lap behind them. On arrival, they booked into a motel and left Sam and Benny there to take a nap and look for other signs while Dean and Castiel questioned one Mr Hinckley, victim of the flammable shrubbery, in the hospital under the guise of reporters.

The poor guy was completely wrapped up in bandages, looking like a boiled lobster, and couldn't give much reaction when Dean pointed at his press ID badge. 'Mr. Hinckley? Hi. Uh, we're from the, uh,  _ Geneva Gazette _ . I wanted to ask you a few questions about your  _ ambush _ .' 

Mr Hinckley didn't appreciate the humour. 'Yeah, well... I'd laugh, too, if it didn't feel like the sun just ate my face.'

'It's a metaphor,' Castiel explained helpfully.

Dean cleared his throat. 'Sorry. Uh, now, in the police report, it said that the, uh- the bush, it talked to you, yeah?'

'Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but, yeah.'

'And what did it say?' Castiel asked.

'No clue. Sounded like Klingon to me.'

Dean was unimpressed. 'Gonna need exact words.'

'Are you serious?' 

Castiel looked at Dean and confirmed, 'That's his serious face, yes.'

'As much as you can remember, Mr Hinckley.'

'Sounded something like... sol-voch. Yeah. Sol-voch-tay.'

Castiel went rigid. 'Thank you, Mr Hinckley. I hope you feel better soon.' He put a hand on Hinckley's shoulder, sending a small pulse of grace that wasn't enough to heal him, but would at least reduce his pain, then turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Dean said a quick goodbye and chased after him.

'I take it that means something to you?' he asked when he caught up with Castiel in the hallway.

'Yes. It's Enochian. It means obey.'

'Obey? Obey what?'

'I don't know. But the amount of pain an angel must be in not just to manifest through shrubbery but to burn... Dean, we have to find him before it's too late.'

A drive around the many abandoned factories of greater metropolitan Hastings finally yielded a demon-ridden location with bonus angel warding. Even with the four of them it would be a big ask to take out all the demons Crowley had surrounding the place, so after leaving the Impala back at the motel, Castiel took Dean to see Kevin by Angel Express to get some demon bombs. Dean kept Kevin company while Castiel got the more esoteric ingredients, and with several bombs each in their arsenal, they swung back around to pick up Sam and Benny, made a pit stop to pick up some spray paint to cover the angel warding, and made their way back to the factory.

Sam, Dean and Benny, with Ruby's knife, Castiel's angel blade, and half a dozen demon bombs, managed to hack their way through the demon guards, painting over and slashing at the warding sigils as they went. Castiel appeared just as they approached the door from which Samandriel's screams were emanating. He wasn't quite at full power, but was in much better shape than he would have been if they hadn't been so thorough with the sigils. Dean returned Castiel's angel blade, but rather than charging in as they expected, he sank to his knees and curled in on himself when Samandriel screamed again. With the angel apparently incapacitated, a terrified expression on his face, Benny took the initiative and pulled the door off its hinges.

They saw Crowley for a split second before the King of Hell vanished, leaving only a squirrely-looking demon in a lab coat trembling before them. He tried to fight them, but Benny's strength was close enough to an even match that he could be dispatched with relative ease. Castiel staggered into the room, and Dean helped him remove the torture device from Samandriel's head. Between the two of them, they managed to get the battered vessel back to the car, with Benny and Sam following close behind.

'It's okay,' Castiel comforted Samandriel as he began to regain consciousness. 'You're safe now. I'm taking you home.'

Samandriel grabbed Castiel's sleeve, a panicked expression on his bloody face. 'No! You can't take me back there, Castiel.'

'Why not?'

'You don't understand. I told Crowley things- things he shouldn't have known. He got to our coding, our secrets- secrets I didn't even know we had!' He shook violently in Castiel's arms while everyone else looked on with concern.

'What secrets?' Castiel asked.

'Heaven, Naomi.'

'No. W-who's Naomi?' Castiel frowned, shaking his head as if trying to pry something loose.

'Who is- listen to me. Listen to me closely. I've been there. I know! They're controlling us, Castiel!'

'What do you mean?'

Benny saw Castiel flicker just before his expression went blank and his angel blade slide out of his sleeve. With inhuman reflexes, he pulled Samandriel out of the way just in time to prevent Castiel from stabbing him.

'What the fuck, Cas?' Dean shouted as the blade continued on its trajectory and scratched into the Impala instead. The blank expression softened into a look of confusion.

'Dean?'

'Don't Dean me! You just tried to kill Alfie and stabbed my freakin' car!'

'I… don't remember doing any of that.'

'Well, you freakin' did, because there's a giant scratch on my Baby and Benny only just managed to pull the guy out of the way. What the hell's going on with you, man?'

'Dean, he's flickerin' like crazy. Whatever's goin' on, it's happening right now and trying to get him to do something.'

'It's Naomi!' Samandriel cried with fear in his eyes. 'He's bouncing back and forth between here and Heaven. She's controlling him.'

'Cas!' Dean shouted. 'Whatever's happening, you need to fight it! Fight it, Cas!'

'Can we stop it?' Sam asked Samandriel, just as Castiel dropped like a sack of potatoes at Dean's feet.

'Cas!' Dean cried out falling to his knees to check on him. Benny turned Samandriel over to Sam's care and rushed to Dean's side to help him get Castiel sitting up. 'Come on, Cas, come on,' he pleaded, patting Castiel's face to wake him up. After a few excruciating moments, Castiel's eyes blinked open, blue irises free of the strange coldness they had shown when he was presumably under Naomi's control.

'Dean? Benny?'

'Hey there, Hot Wings. You gave us a fright. How you feelin'?'

'I'm not sure. I… I don't know what's happening to me.'

'Do you know why you almost killed your little pal over there? I only just got him out of the way in time.

Castiel frowned. 'I don't know, I don't even remember doing so. I remember carrying Samandriel outside, then it's… fuzzy. Then I remember Dean calling my name, some kind of strange sensation in my mind, and… black.'

'Naomi must have programmed you to make you forget your meetings with her,' Samandriel offered. 'You were fighting to remain here, but she kept dragging you to Heaven. She must have ordered you to-' He cut off as his voice choked up.

'I'm sorry. I would never knowingly harm you,' Castiel assured him before turning to Benny. 'Thank you for stopping me, Benny.'

Benny took Castiel's hand and kissed it. 'Anytime, Hot Wings.'

'Has she still got her claws in you?' Dean asked, checking Castiel over as if looking for literal claws, or perhaps puppet strings.

'I don't think so. I feel different from how I did before. I can't quite explain it.'

'I could have a look,' Samandriel said, 'see if there are any signs of her control still in your mind.'

'Please.'

Samandriel approached timidly, but when it became clear that Castiel wasn't going to attack him, he crouched in front of him and put his hands to Castiel's head. There was a surge of grace from his hands, and Castiel's eyes rolled back in his head; after a tense moment, Samandriel sank fully to the ground with relief. 'It's OK. The connection is broken.'

'Good. Great. What broke it?' Dean asked, and four faced looked at him as if he were an idiot.

'Don't ask stupid questions,' Castiel growled and pulled Dean in for a kiss.

Sam rolled his eyes and turned to Samandriel. 'What happens now? Will this Naomi come back for Cas?'

'I don't know. It wouldn't be the first time that Heaven lost control over Castiel. He's been… strong-willed.'

'Don't we know it,' Benny chuckled.

'There are sigils we can use to keep us off Naomi's radar, make it difficult for angels to find us.'

'Like Cas etched into our ribs a few years ago,' Sam nodded.

'Yes, something like that,’ Samandriel agreed, then added, ‘although we can skip the section on Dean's sternum.'

'What's on Dean's sternum?'

'Oh, well, um,' Samandriel stammered, looking a bit uncomfortable, 'it's essentially Castiel's claim. The Enochian is difficult to translate directly, but it approximately means "Other angels keep your hands off, this human is claimed by Castiel.'

Dean pulled back from Castiel's lips to smirk at him. 'Really, Cas? You called dibs on me?'

'I had already called dibs on you,' Castiel replied, bringing his hand up to Dean's left shoulder. 'But certain archangels didn't get the message.'

'Mm, you're so hot when you're jealous, sweetheart. Remember that time that Benny-'

'Maybe you guys can talk about whatever that story is later,' Sam interrupted. 'For now, I think we need to get a motel and figure out what we're going to do next.'

'And I'm gonna need to find a body shop so this scratch doesn't rust.' Dean ran his hand along the scrape in Baby's door as gently as if it were a bleeding wound.

'I'm so sorry, Dean. Please allow me.' Castiel let his hand hover over the Impala, and the damage disappeared.

'Good as new. Thanks sweetheart.' Dean rewarded him with a kiss. 'OK, everybody climb in.' It was a bit cramped with five grown men in the Impala, even with Samandriel's relatively small size, but fortunately they were able to find a motel before too long. Dean could see the desk clerk trying to do the arithmetic when they asked for two rooms with two queen beds, but she didn't make any comment. 

They kinda only needed three beds, but Dean fully intended to make such a mess of one of the beds in his room that they'd need the second one if they wanted to sleep comfortably.

Only two of them really needed proper food, but Benny also liked to eat, so Sam went out to pick up some pizzas while the rest of the group got settled in. Castiel and Samandriel were already deep in conversation about the exact Enochian symbols and sigils they would need for protection and what the most effective way of installing them on self-healing vessels would be. They tested a few options but they only managed to deplete their grace with the first attempts.

'We'll need to do more research,' Samandriel said as Castiel sagged in his chair. 'I'm sure we'll come up with something.'

'We can go back to Whitefish tomorrow, we've got a bunch of Bobby's books there and I'm sure there's angel lore we can look through,' Sam offered.

'But right now, it's bedtime for little angels,' Dean announced, nodding to Benny to help him get Castiel up. 'We'll see you guys in the morning, call first.'

'Yeah, I've learned my lesson,' Sam muttered.

Once they were in their own room, Dean fussed over Castiel, helping him take off the trenchcoat and suit jacket. 

'Dean, I'm perfectly capable of undressing myself,' Castiel grumbled self-consciously.

'You've never complained about me taking your clothes off before, angel,' Dean teased in response, and that earned him a soft smile. 'Come on, get comfy. You need to rest.'

'I'm fine. It was a brief exertion to attempt the sigils, but I'm fully recovered. I just need to mark Benny now.' 

Castiel put his hand on Benny's chest, and Benny felt sharp stabs like a thousand tiny knives attacking his rib cage until Castiel pulled his hand away. 'Ow,' he said dryly, rubbing at the spot where Castiel had touched him.

'Yeah, it ain't fun, but worth it to keep Heaven's Next Top Asshole off our backs,' Dean agreed with a consoling pat to Benny's back.

'So what does it say anyway?'

'There are several spells and sigils that hide you from angelic eyes, some of which can't be spoken in a human tongue and would make your ears bleed to hear them. And my claim, of course.'

'Oh yeah? You called dibs on me too, Hot Wings?'

'I wouldn't want you to feel unloved,' Castiel smirked.

'No chance of that,' Benny murmured, leaning in for a kiss that Castiel eagerly returned.

'Hey, Sam doesn't have that, right?' 

Castiel sighed as he pulled away from Benny's lips. 'No, Dean, I did not put a claim on your brother. His marking just says that he's under my protection, yours and Benny's say that you belong to me.'

'So it's like a tag on a pet collar? If found, please return to Cas?' Dean teased.

'Not exactly. Samandriel was being tactful with his translation, it's not a claim of ownership, it's… well, it's something like a mating claim.'

'Kinky.'

'At the time it was partially in the hope that Michael would see you as sullied. I thought that maybe the mating claim of a lesser angel would make him see your vessel as unworthy of him. It didn't work, but it did cause a lot of gossip on angel radio about our presumed sex life.'

'I bet. So why didn't you put one on Sam? Lucifer not as snobby about his vessels?'

'I had no interest in putting a mating claim on Sam. It's… intimate.'

'But you were cool to put one on me?' 

Castiel fidgeted and would have blushed if he were human. 'I was already interested in having greater intimacy with you.'

'Aw, Cas, you had a crush on me back then? How embarrassing for you.'

Castiel glared. 'Dean, we're lovers. And angels don't have "crushes" like humans. It was angelic devotion and our profound bond.'

'Just admit it, you thought my ass was hot.'

'And your ass was hot,' Castiel agreed.

'Speakin' of ass,' Benny interrupted, 'how's about we finish that whole takin' off clothes thing?'

'What are you thinking?' Dean asked.

'Well, I figure since Cas has been dancin' to somebody else's tune lately, we'd let him call the shots tonight.'

'I do like it when Cas is bossy,' Dean smirked.

'I know you do, cher. What do you think, Hot Wings?'

'I think you should both strip,' Castiel growled commandingly, eliciting matching grins from Dean and Benny.

'That's what I'm talkin' about.' Dean complied enthusiastically while Benny was more languid in his obedience. 

Once they were both naked, Castiel approached, still mostly dressed but with his tie off and sleeves rolled up his forearms. 'Dean, would you be interested in… if you remember the last time in Purgatory, when we… I mean, I'd like…'

'He wants you to take us both, darlin',' Benny finished for him. 'Just like that last time. Remember how you begged for it?' 

Dean shivered at the memory. 'Yeah. Fuck. Let's do it.' He pulled Castiel close and started undoing the buttons of his shirt. 'You need to be naked for this too.' Between them, Dean and Benny managed to strip Castiel down very efficiently, and he was soon as bare as they were. 'I've got lube in the bag if you-'

'Too slow.' Castiel pulled Dean in for a kiss and grabbed his ass, sliding a finger between the cheeks and using grace to get Dean ready.

'Impatient,' Benny teased, coming around to Dean's back to place kisses along his shoulders and back. 'But it is a damn useful trick. How do you wanna do this, Cas?'

'I want Dean to ride me.' Castiel lay on the bed and Dean straddled his lap, bringing their cocks together in his hand for a bit of foreplay. Benny stood next to the bed watching, loosely fisting his own erection as he enjoyed the view. 'Dean, I need to be inside you.'

'Come on, sugar. You heard the boss.' Dean let go and lifted himself up so Castiel could get his cock into position for Dean to slide onto it. Castiel wrapped his hand around it for a moment to provide the angel mojo equivalent of lube. Dean slowly lowered himself down, giving Benny a show.

'Fuck, feels good, sweetheart,' Dean moaned when his hips were finally flush with Castiel's. 

Benny got in the bed behind Dean, also straddling Castiel's legs, and gently pushed Dean to lean forward. He used the excuse to kiss Castiel while Benny eased himself inside Dean. 'How's that feel? Not hurtin' ya, am I?'

Dean shook his head. 'No, no, feels good, so fuckin' good,' he rambled, pushing his hips back to take all of Benny's cock inside. 'Fuck! Yes!'

'Start nice and slow, Benny,' Castiel ordered. 'Enjoy it.'

'Oh trust me, I am.' Benny's hips moved sinuously, a slow and steady rhythm building the heat among them. His large hands gripped Dean's hips as he pulled partyway out and thrust back in over and over.

'Cas, please touch me,' Dean gasped as he felt himself get closer to the edge. Castiel wrapped his hand around Dean's cock, letting Benny's thrusts do the work of pushing it through his fist. 'Fuck, yes, yes!' Dean cried out as he came over Castiel's hand and onto his stomach.

'Dean!' Castiel moaned, his hips pistoning up as he chased his own peak. Benny only just beat him there.

After an angel mojo-assisted cleanup, Dean and Benny manoeuvred Castiel between them in the fresh bed, kissing, caressing and reassuring him that he was safe now. He lay on his side half draped over Dean's chest while Benny spooned him from behind and the blanket covered their bare skin, but the cosy cocoon wasn't enough to stop him from shaking.

'What's wrong, darlin'?' Benny asked with his gentle rumble as he continued to plant soft kisses along Castiel's neck and ear.

'I'm afraid that Naomi will find me and take control again. That she'll make me hurt you,' Castiel confessed in a broken whisper against Dean's neck.

'Hey, sweetheart, look at me,' Dean urged, nuzzling Castiel's face with his nose until their eyes met. 'How many times have you full-on rebelled from Heaven for me? I've honestly lost count. They never manage to keep their claws in you for long, and that little Alfie guy's gonna help us figure out a way to keep you safe from that Naomi bitch. And for good measure, Benny and me are totally gonna put some dibs on you too. How do you spell the Enochian for  _ Hands off our angel, you winged dicks _ ?'

'Enochian doesn't have quite the same structure as English, so it would be more like  _ Thou winged phalluses dare not lay hands on our angel. _ ' Dean snorted and Benny chuckled before mussing Castiel's hair.

'Sounds fancy, maybe I'll get it tattooed on my ass,' Benny joked. 'Maybe add a little dick with some wings on it and a big red X on top to really get the point across.'

'Sexy. I think you should get it as a tramp stamp,' Dean teased back.

'What do you think, Angel Face? Ass or tramp stamp?'

'You could probably fit the words on your penis and have the wings tattooed along the sides,' Castiel suggested with his straightest poker face, but at the looks of shock on Dean and Benny's faces, he broke into laughter that Dean happily joined in on. 

'All right, all right, you're comedians when it's not your dicks on the line,' Benny grumbled, but his grin belied his grumpiness. 

'I was only trying to imply that you're very well-endowed, Benny.' Castiel tried to look innocent, but failed once again to keep a straight face. Benny tried to retaliate with tickling, but finding that angels were immune, he changed his target to Dean, who was not.

'Hey! I'm not the one who said you should tattoo your dick!' Dean protested, trying to squirm away but failing thanks to Castiel refusing to release his grip and effectively holding him down for Benny. Castiel's mischievous grin made Dean realise that this probably wasn't an accident.

Eventually Benny was satisfied in his revenge, and laughter settled into soft chuckles and then hums of contentment as they nestled closely together, no longer a requirement for safety or warmth as it had initially been in Purgatory, but simply for affection.

'I love you both,' Castiel said softly when it had been quiet for a few minutes. 'I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there for me. I could have killed Samandriel… I may have tried to hurt you.'

'But you didn't, Cas. You wouldn't hurt us.'

'But I have, Dean. I've hurt you, I've hurt Sam.'

'Hey, shut up,' Dean ordered, covering Castiel's mouth with his hand. 'We've all done stupid shit. But even when you were pulling all of that Purgatory souls crap, you still came back to yourself- you still came back to  _ me _ .'

'But Dean-'

'Heh. I just realised somethin',' Benny interrupted, and Dean looked at him gratefully. 'I was inside Cas way before you ever were.'

Castiel rolled his eyes. 'You and several million other souls.'

'It wasn't exactly romantic, I'll grant you that, but I still remember how it felt bein' all up in there.' He poked Castiel's stomach teasingly, getting the small laugh he was after.

Dean frowned. 'Seriously, you remember being inside Cas? You never told me that.'

'Sorry, Dean, I just wasn't really sure how to bring up that your angel boyfriend ate me once, and after we met him it just seemed kinda awkward to mention it.'

Dean smacked Benny's arm. 'Asshole.'

'For what it's worth, I apologise for taking in your soul and using it to power my delusion that I was the new God,' Castiel said sheepishly. 'You have a very nice soul for a vampire.'

'Well thanks, Hot Wings. Gotta admit, that little trip topside was what made me want to come back and made me find Dean when I heard he'd landed his ass down there. And that wouldn't have happened if the big mouths hadn't got loose in the first place for you to gank their boss.' He shrugged and leaned across Dean to give Castiel a kiss. 'From my point of view, it all worked out in the end, 'cause now I got both of you.'

'You sentimental son of a bitch. I'm startin' to feel like I'm in a weird horror romance crossover novel or some shit. If you start sparkling, I'm lettin' Sam chop your head off.'

'It's probably for the best that Chuck is gone,' Castiel mused. 'I expect the publishers wouldn't have approved of this particular Winchester Gospel.'

'Who's Chuck and what's a Winchester Gospel?' Benny asked.

'Chuck was a prophet of the lord who wrote what he thought were fictional novels, but were actually prophetic visions about Sam and Dean,' Castiel replied. 'They weren't terribly well-written, but they were very accurate.'

'Wait, so there's books about you, cher?'

Dean scoffed. 'Yeah, shitty books. Even worse than the sparkly vamps.'

'You do live an interesting life,' Benny chuckled, shaking his head. 'Maybe I'll get to read all about it sometime.'

'Yeah, no, you're definitely not getting to read that crap,' Dean declared.

'Why not? Is there juicy stuff 'em?' Benny waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

'Dean is "full-frontal" in some of them,' Castiel replied, air quotes and all. 

'Well that ain't nothin' new to me,' Benny replied, running a teasing finger over Dean's soft cock.

'I think he was embarrassed to be shown as a tender lover who desired affection from one-night stands rather than the cocky "love 'em and leave 'em" playboy he tried to project.'

'Dude!' Dean protested, but they both ignored him.

'Well that ain't nothin' new either.'

'I'm right here, you know!'

'We see you, Dean,' Castiel assured him, and the way he said it made it sound much deeper than just what their eyes were doing.

'There's no shame in being  _ doux _ ,  _ mon cher _ ,' Benny said, leaning over Castiel to cup Dean's cheek. 'I happen to like it.'

'Me too,' Castiel agreed.

'OK, when did this become about me? We're supposed to be making  _ Cas _ feel better.'

'I  _ do  _ feel better. I'm happy to talk about you now.'

'Well… but… what about Benny?'

Benny raised an eyebrow. 'What about me?'

'We haven't got all sappy about your ass yet. I think it's your turn.'

'You really don't need to-'

'You're right, Dean. Benny deserves to hear how much we appreciate him too.' Castiel and Dean both turned to face him. 'I find the shape and heft of your penis very appealing.'

Dean cracked up, knocking his forehead against Castiel's shoulder while his entire body shook with laughter that was mirrored by Benny. 'Well thanks, Hot Wings, yours ain't so bad either.'

'I like it too,' Dean agreed as he tried to catch his breath. 'The shape and heft and whatever.'

'Uh huh. So what I'm gettin' from this whole conversation is you both just like me for my dick.' Benny crossed his arms, pretending to be offended.

'Your accent is pretty hot,' Dean added. 'Really hot. And your beard. Love feelin' it between my thighs.' Benny tried to fight the lascivious grin that was forming, but it was a lost cause.

'I love your gentleness.' Castiel took Benny's hand and intertwined their fingers. 'You can fight and kill and tear things apart with your bare hands, but that's what you have to do, not who you are. Your soul is good, and you touch us with such care.'

'Well damn, angel. That's about the nicest thing anybody's ever said about me.' Benny rewarded him with a sweet kiss that perfectly demonstrated Castiel's words. 

'Saps,' Dean said fondly. 'I feel like I'm in a chick flick.'

'You love chick flicks,' Castiel and Benny said simultaneously.

Dean grinned. 'Yeah, you're right. C'mere you sappy bastards.'

Heaven, Crowley, and tablets still hung over their heads, but all of that could wait for tomorrow. Tonight was just for them.


End file.
